Slide buckle



12, 1932. R. .1. HODGE 1,840,626

SLIDE BUCKLE Filed Dec. 2e, 195o LNVE TER --KDBEFrA-V J IAL-DGE Patented `lan. 12, 1932 E@ UTATES PATENT 1 FFCE ROBERT J. HODGE, 0F WEST HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 THE AMERICAN BUCKLE CGPANY, OF WEST HAVEN,

NECTICUT CONNECTCUT, A CORPORATION SLIDE BUCKLE Application filed December`26, 1930. Serial No. 504,791.

rlhis invention relates to slide buckles having an upper' bar, a lower bar and a side structure providing and supporting an intermediate bar structure in substantial parallel relation to the upper and lower bars. Such structure is old in the art, but the novelty ot this invention resides in providmeans tor the removal or swinging y* of the other side structure tor the pur- L e ot freely exposing the longitudinal apn-roach to said intermediate bar structure order that a looped strap, held in the plane ot the intermediate bar structure, may be pass-ed along said plane and onto said intermediate bar structure with the same effeet, with regarl to the mounting ot the slide buckle upon the strapy as it the strap had been threaded into the slide buckle from the rear and between the upper bar a d intermediate bar structure, around the intermediate iar structure and again into the slide buckle but trom the trent and between the intermediate bar structure and the lower bar or ordinary slide buckle.

The objects therefore of this invention are to provide a slide buckle adapted toran easy and rapid mounting upon a strap; to provide a slide buckle the mounting ot which upon a strap dispenses with the usual threadprocess; and to provide a slide buckle nich the longitudinal approach tothe i mediate bar structure may be so eX- poeed that a looped strap held in the plane such structure may be moved along said il lVith these and otlier objects in view, the invention consists not only ot the particular term of structure herein pointed out and illustrated in the drawing, but also includes such other forms ot structure Vasv may hereinafter appear .vithin the scope of the invention as claimed.

rlhe character of the invention may be best understood by the reference to one illustrative device embodying the novel features ot the improvement illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which the Figure l is an upright elevation et the device; the Figure 2 is an upright side elevation thereof; the Figure 3 is an upright elevation ot the device, but with a side structure swung away troni the extremity of the intermediate bar structure; and the Figure 4 is an upright side elevation of the device as previously illustrated in Figure 3; the Figures 5 and 6 being upright iront and side elevations ot' a modied device, while the Figures 8 and 9 are upright trent and side elevations ot' a further modified device, the figure 9 illustrating a side structure swung away trom the intermediate bar structure, and theV Figure T illustrating a detail of the second lnodication.

The buckle may be made of wire with a sheet-metal member, or may be made wholly ot wire, but, as illustrated, the preferred torni of the device is provided with a sheet-metal member. The wire portion ot the device is so formed that there are provided an upper bar l having at its tree extremity an eye 2 and at its bent end a loop 3 symmetrically corresponding in contour with the eye 2, the bendbeing downwardly directed to provide the upper portion of the side structur 4 from which the wire is bent in substantially parallel relation with the upper bar l to extend across the slide buckle and then looped back upon itself and returned to the side structure 4 and thereby providing the intermediate bar structure 5. The wire is then bent downwardly again to complete the side structure 4 and the loop 6 is there Jformed tovbalance the symmetrical contour, and from thence the wire is bent to entend again in parallel relation with the upper bar l to provide the lower bar 7, the tree extremity of which is provided with an eye 8. The two strands oi the intermediate bar structure 5 are relatively twisted to relatively secure the two portions of the side structure 4 and also to strengthen the intermediate bar structure 5. The upper and lower bars l and 7 may be flattened in the plane ot the slide buckle if desired. The side structure 9 is made ofsheet-metal cut and channel formed to provide the channel l0 and the wall enlargements l1 and l2 at either extremity, the enlargement ll being adapted to'receive the eye 8 for pivotal securement thereto by meansof inwardly directed bosses 13 provided by the walls of the enlargement 1l and OF CON- extending into the center of the eye 8, one

of which bosses 13 is illustrated by the Figures l and 3. The enlargement l2 is provided with similar, but slightly indented, 5 bosses 14 so that, as the side structure 9 is swung to permit the enlargement l2 to receive the eye 2, the bosses le will snap into the center of the eye 2, the channel l adjacent its middle portion rece' fing the free end of the intermediate bar structure 5. 1f desired, indentations l5 may be struck into the side walls of the channel l0 to support the enclosed free end of the intermediate bar structure 5.

In mounting the device upon a strap the side structure 9 is swung open as best illustrated by the Figure 3. A looped strap is then passed onto the intermediate bar structure. The side structure 9 is then swung toa closed posit-ion as best illustrated by the Figure l, the bosses la snapping into the center of the eye 2 and thus securing the pivotal side structure 9 against unintentional opening; for the pulling strain of the strap adjacent the slide buckle being exerted upon the device in a direction at right angles to the necessary releasing movement of the pivotal side structure 9.

The Figures 5 and 6 illustrate a modified form of device in which the side structure 3A includes a portion of beth upper and lower bar sections having the pivotal connections 2A and 8A, and the side structure 9A being provided with the supports 15A for the intermediate bar structure 5A. N ith the exception of the above-stated moditications this modified ferm may be identical with that of the preferred fcrfm.A ln mounting this modilied form of slide bucklev upon a strap the side structure 9A is swung open to freely expose the extremity of the intermediate bar structure 5A. over which a looped strap may be as readily passed as in the preferred form. The side struct ire 9A is then closed, the extremity of the intermediate bar structure litting friction tight between the supports 15A to provide securement of the pivotal side structure 9A against unintentional opening1 the pulling strain of a strap adjacent the slid(- e buckle being exerted upon either side of the pivotal connections 2A and 8A thus distrib uting such strain throughout the entire width of the device.

The Figures T, 8 and 9, refer to a second modification of the preferred form of the device. This form of modiication is idenH tical with the preferred form, the only difference being that in the place of the eyes 2 and 8 the modification provides spherical enlargements 2B and SB upon the extremities of the upper and lower bars 1B and 7B, and a side structure 9B, as illustrated by the Figure 7, is made of sheet-metal in channel form with closed extremities adapted to provide enclosing sockets 13B for the permanent retention of the enlargement 8B, and the separable retention of the enlargement 2B adapted to snap therein. In mounting this modified form of slide buckle upon a strap the side structure 9B is released at the ball and socket connection at 2B and swung out of the plane of the slide buckle, as illustrated by the Figure 9, the intermediate bar structure 5B thus being longitudinally exposed in readiness to receive a looped strap. The side structure 9B being swung to the position illustrated `by the Figure 8, the socket of the side structure 9B is snapped over the enlargement 2B. The strain upon t-he device occasioned by a taut strap running therethrough is, as in the preferred form, at right angles to the necessary releasing movement of the side structure 9B.

I claim:

l. A slide buckle comprising a piece of wire bent to form a frame including an upper bar, a lower bar, and a side structure providing and supporting an intermediate bar structure formed of a middle section of the wire looped back upon itself to provide a second strand of wire in the intermediate bar structure, both strands being relatively twisted; a sheet-metal member of channel form providing the other side structure; and releasable and movable connections between the extremities of the lower and upper bars and the sheet-metal member thus adapted to enclose and support the extrem ity of the intermediate bar structure.

2. A slide buckle comprising a piece of wire bent to form a frame including an upper bar, a lower bar, and a side structure providing and supporting an intermediate bar structure formed by a middle section of said wire looped back upon itself to provide said intermediate bar structure with two strands of wire integrally connected at one end and means provided by said strands to relatively secure them at the other end, a channeled formed member providing the other side structure, and connecting means provided by the extremities of the upper and lower bars and by both ends of the channeled formed member to movably secure one end of the member to one bar extremity and to removably secure the other end of the member to the other bar extremity.

ROBERT J. HODGE. 

